On September 26, 1997, the journalist-averse Ter-Petrosyan unexpectedly held a press conference to mark the anniversary of his presidential election. In his address, he called for concessions regarding Karabakh and an agreement with the Minsk Group's proposed "step-by-step resolution" plan.

Axar.az reports that this was noted by Armenia's second president, Robert Kocharian, in his book "Life and Freedom."

Kocharian wrote that Petrosyan supported the plan for Karabakh to remain within Azerbaijan:

"The president's arguments resulted in the understanding that Armenia had no other choice. It was clear that without resolving the Karabakh issue, there could be no economic progress and no future for the country. Notable journalist Sergo Yeritsyan, host of the 'Idea' program, asked whether Petrosyan truly meant that he was ready to abandon Karabakh. He replied: 'Sergo-jan, until the Karabakh problem is resolved, you won’t live well!'

Petrosyan's statement quickly reached the public, and the press conference went down in Armenian history as the 'Sergo-jan' conference."